Posts Tagged ‘Santa Barbara’

In high school, this brother and sister I was friends with decided to throw the Party of the Year. They enlisted my help. “Fredde, will you invite a bunch of people and say it’s an open party? You know everyone. Our parents will be out of town. We want to make it epic.”

I don’t know if they used epic, that’s more of a word from today, but they did want it to be memorable. And it was. Sort of thanks to me. I spread the word. The house was full of rabble-rousers. The place was trashed. And now the kids would be in some deep trouble. So, what did they do? Blamed me. Yep. They said Fredde Duke told everyone to show up here and she threw a party. I did not. But they were now out of trouble, and I was considered quite the shit stirrer.

I waited 35 years and decided it was time to set the record straight. I look the number up. Still listed. And, yes, I hear from a mutual friend that both parents are still alive. I dial the number. “Hi Mr. and Mrs. ______. I’m Fredde Duke. Do you remember me?”

I just drove by the sweetest scene: an elderly couple picnicking in Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Elderly, I say, when they are probably only ten years older than me. I am eternally drawn to the romantic notion of al fresco dining. (Al Fresco sounds like the name of a gangster gunned down while dining in Little Italy, though not necessarily outdoors.)

I have a fantasy of serving meals outdoors to be eaten on a long picnic table with a vintage French tablecloth and beautiful cutlery and cloth napkins. I also have a fantasy of hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, but it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.

While I might like the idea of eating outdoors, I hate fighting the elements and the insects. So I never serve a meal outside and don’t really enjoy outdoor dining unless, perhaps, it’s on a screened-in porch. I like a barrier. I will, however, contradict myself and tell you I choose the patio at most restaurants because it can be infinitely more charming. Like, say, at The Ivy. Ivy at The Shore is safer from wind and flying bugs because it’s covered, so that’s the patio I prefer. But the charm of the patio at The Ivy in West Hollywood cannot be beat. (more…)

Years ago when I was first dating my husband, I would stumble out of bed, hours after he started his day and announce my daily sleep report. It was and is always detailed with what time I had to pee( sometimes up to three times a night) to what noise in or outside of the house was disturbing to my restless nature. I often zero in on something negative and let my brain get stuck there, like an old warped record. Last night in an expensive and lovely bed and breakfast in Santa Barbara was no different. I was rendered sleepless by various ambient noises that I now block out in my own home with white sound. And this was no just semi-sleepless night, this was a full blown insomniac’d out, never even drift off for a moment of peace. The trying ended with the bing of a text, it’s not like me but apparently I had forgotten to turn my cell phone off. After living through losing both parents and waiting for the possible call, I gave up being available during the night with a phone call. I unplug, turn off, anything to aid the possibility of slumber.

There is a huge, stay away from trigger for a person with insomnia and that is a plan in the morning. I don’t make plans for anything, including construction on my home anytime before 11:00 am.

The bed and breakfast called for their gourmet breakfast from 8:30-9:30 which I’m sure is the reason I was rendered entirely sleepless. No one but another person with insomnia would be able to relate to this. I was quite determined not to miss the lemon souffled pancakes with thyme and lemon infused melon balls as the first course. No fucking way was I losing out on this meal. Ask me if I remember it? I was there, I barely remember now, even though it was earlier today, gritting my teeth from anxiety and humorless.

The focul point of the large former barn room at our bed and breakfast is the big bathtub right there in the room. My husband went out for a walk and I took a long, sleepy bath. I was then ready for lunch with the girls! We went to Opal at both the hotel and my friend Kayla’s suggestion. I remember that we were there, I know we spent most of our time laughing our heads off about all of our “70’s” experiences together and separate. I do not remember the food that well. I do recall that Kayla’s lunch choice of grilled salmon in a curry sauce was the clear winner. I tried it and it was far better then the cobb salad I shared with my other old friend Cathy. (more…)